Hurricane Erin strengthened from a tropical storm early Friday to become the first Atlantic hurricane of the 2025 season, the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) said in its 11 a.m. EDT advisory. The system was packing sustained winds of 75 mph and was located roughly 460 miles east of the northern Leeward Islands, moving west-northwest at about 18 mph over exceptionally warm water and in a corridor of low wind shear. Forecasters expect steady to rapid intensification, projecting Erin to reach major-hurricane strength (Category 3 or higher) by late Sunday and possibly attain Category 4 intensity early next week as it travels across the open Atlantic. Hurricane-force winds currently extend up to 25 miles from the center, while tropical-storm-force winds reach out about 115 miles. Tropical-storm watches were issued for Anguilla, Barbuda, St. Martin, St. Barthelemy, Saba, St. Eustatius and Sint Maarten. The NHC warned of 2–6 inches of rain, localized flash flooding, landslides and gusty winds for portions of the northern Leeward Islands, the U.S. and British Virgin Islands and eastern Puerto Rico through the weekend. Swells generated by Erin are forecast to create life-threatening surf and rip currents across the northeastern Caribbean first, then along the U.S. East Coast from Florida to New England beginning early next week. Consensus guidance keeps Erin’s core north of the Caribbean islands and shows the cyclone turning northward between Bermuda and the U.S. mainland next week, limiting the likelihood of a direct U.S. landfall. Nonetheless, forecasters cautioned that a westward shift remains possible and advised coastal interests from the Bahamas to New England to monitor updates and heed local advisories.